Effect of Process Parameters on the Properties of Clay-Based Composite Filter for Water Purification

Consumption of contaminated water causes disease infections which are highly contagious and can lead to loss of lives and reduction in life expectancy. More than half of Africans live in rural areas and these people have a larger share of an inadequate supply of safe drinking water. This study is aimed at producing a clay composite filter that will effectively remove contaminants from water and provide safe drinking water for rural dwellers.The materials, temperature and characterization stage of the filter production were considered.Activated carbon produced by carbonization of coconut shell and activation using lime juice and water was blended with micron size clay and coconut shell nanoparticle. The blend contains clay, activated carbon and coconut shell nanoparticlein the ratio 60: 30: 10, 60: 20: 20, 60: 10: 30, and 60: 0: 40, and then sintered attemperature of 700 °C, 800 °C, 900 °C, and 1000 °C. The surface area and pore size of the blends after firing were tested usingBrunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET). The microstructure and crystal structure were examinedand determined using Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS)andX-ray Diffractometer(XRD)respectively.The results showed that the mix of 60: 10: 30, fired at 900 °C gave the best parameters for the production of clay filter with better flow rate, pore size, and pore volume measurements.